Explore mode - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: tweaks

2025-12-25T00:26:36Z

tweaks

Josinalvo: added hardfought's explore mode

2025-12-24T22:23:08Z

added hardfought's explore mode

Furey: {{TOCright}}. Fix typo. Bump version from {{nethack-360}} to {{nethack-367}}. Don't mention specific public servers.

2024-06-11T00:17:40Z

{{TOCright}}. Fix typo. Bump version from {{nethack-360}} to {{nethack-367}}. Don't mention specific public servers.

Hordes: /* Death */

2022-07-25T02:26:55Z

‎Death

Hordes: typo (again)

2022-07-24T03:12:57Z

typo (again)

Hordes: typo

2022-07-24T03:10:08Z

typo

Hordes at 03:09, 24 July 2022

2022-07-24T03:09:43Z

Darth l33t: wand of wishing section

2022-02-17T18:09:08Z

wand of wishing section

Actual-nh: /* Strategy */ Link "Why do I keep dying?"

2021-06-18T21:30:20Z

‎Strategy: Link "Why do I keep dying?"

Luxidream: typo

2019-12-28T07:00:18Z

typo

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 It can be invoked in a new or existing game by starting NetHack with the -X option, setting [[Options#playmode|playmode]] config option, or in an existing game via the '''#exploremode''' extended command. In an existing game, you will be prompted for confirmation. Once entered, a character may not leave explore mode. When an explore mode game ends, the [[score]] is not saved to the [[record file]].
-[[Public servers]] often disable explore mode, with hardfought.org (HDF) being a notable exception.
+[[Public servers]] often disable explore mode, with [[hardfought.org]] (HDF) being a notable exception.
 {{Tocright}}
 ==Death==
+The most prominent feature of explore mode allows you to refuse [[Death (character)|death]] at will.  When your hero would die, you are prompted as follows:
   Die? [yn]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 It can be invoked in a new or existing game by starting NetHack with the -X option, setting [[Options#playmode|playmode]] config option, or in an existing game via the '''#exploremode''' extended command. In an existing game, you will be prompted for confirmation. Once entered, a character may not leave explore mode. When an explore mode game ends, the [[score]] is not saved to the [[record file]].
-[[Public servers]] often disable explore mode.
+[[Public servers]] often disable explore mode, with hardfought.org (HDF) being a notable exception.
 {{Tocright}}

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 It can be invoked in a new or existing game by starting NetHack with the -X option, setting [[Options#playmode|playmode]] config option, or in an existing game via the '''#exploremode''' extended command. In an existing game, you will be prompted for confirmation. Once entered, a character may not leave explore mode. When an explore mode game ends, the [[score]] is not saved to the [[record file]].
-[[Public servers]], including [[nethack.alt.org]], will most often disable explore mode.
+[[Public servers]] often disable explore mode.
 ==Death==
@@ Line 13: / Line 15: @@
 Type {{kbd|n}}, and you receive the message "Okay, so you don't die." The game then continues as normal, with the usual effects of life saving. The [[amulet of life saving]] takes priority; wearing one on a valid death will consume the amulet with no prompt. You can refuse any sort of death, even ones that standard life saving wouldn't protect you from. However, you cannot refuse any other end to your game, such as [[trickery]] or [[escaping the dungeon]].
-If you refuse death from [[brainlessness]], your [[intelligence]] is arbitrarily set to 5 ("You feel like a scarecrow.").  If you refuse death from self-[[genocide]], you survive as the last of your race or role. Trying to genocide the same thing again conciously will fail, but the uncursed scroll while confused still works.
+If you refuse death from [[brainlessness]], your [[intelligence]] is arbitrarily set to 5 ("You feel like a scarecrow.").  If you refuse death from self-[[genocide]], you survive as the last of your race or role. Trying to genocide the same thing again consciously will fail, but the uncursed scroll while confused still works.
 ==Save file==
@@ Line 47: / Line 49: @@
 [[Category:Development]]
 [[Category:Commands|X]]
-{{nethack-360}}
+{{nethack-367}}

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
   Die? [yn]
-Type {{kbd|n}}, and you receive the message "Okay, so you don't die." The game then continues as normal. The [[amulet of life saving]] takes priority; wearing one on a valid death will consume the amulet with no prompt. You can refuse any sort of death, even ones that standard life saving wouldn't protect you from. However, you cannot refuse any other end to your game, such as [[trickery]] or [[escaping the dungeon]].
+Type {{kbd|n}}, and you receive the message "Okay, so you don't die." The game then continues as normal, with the usual effects of life saving. The [[amulet of life saving]] takes priority; wearing one on a valid death will consume the amulet with no prompt. You can refuse any sort of death, even ones that standard life saving wouldn't protect you from. However, you cannot refuse any other end to your game, such as [[trickery]] or [[escaping the dungeon]].
 If you refuse death from [[brainlessness]], your [[intelligence]] is arbitrarily set to 5 ("You feel like a scarecrow.").  If you refuse death from self-[[genocide]], you survive as the last of your race or role. Trying to genocide the same thing again conciously will fail, but the uncursed scroll while confused still works.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 It can be invoked in a new or existing game by starting NetHack with the -X option, setting [[Options#playmode|playmode]] config option, or in an existing game via the '''#exploremode''' extended command. In an existing game, you will be prompted for confirmation. Once entered, a character may not leave explore mode. When an explore mode game ends, the [[score]] is not saved to the [[record file]].
-[[Public servers]], including [[nethack.alt.org]] wil' most often disable explore mode.
+[[Public servers]], including [[nethack.alt.org]], will most often disable explore mode.
 ==Death==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Explore mode]] is a special game mode, intended for players still learning the basics, which grants several advantages to the player.
+[[Explore mode]] is a special game mode intended for players still learning the basics. It grants several advantages to the player, including the ability to cheat death.
-It can be invoked in a new or existing game by starting NetHack with the -X option, setting [[Options#playmode|playmode]] config option, or in an existing game via the '''#exploremode''' extended command. In an existing game, you will be prompted for confirmation.
+It can be invoked in a new or existing game by starting NetHack with the -X option, setting [[Options#playmode|playmode]] config option, or in an existing game via the '''#exploremode''' extended command. In an existing game, you will be prompted for confirmation. Once entered, a character may not leave explore mode. When an explore mode game ends, the [[score]] is not saved to the [[record file]].
-Once entered, a character may not leave explore mode. When an explore mode game ends, the [[score]] is not saved to the [[record file]].
+[[Public servers]], including [[nethack.alt.org]] wil disable explore mode.
 ==Death==
@@ Line 13: / Line 11: @@
   Die? [yn]
-Type {{kbd|n}}, and you receive the message "Okay, so you don't die." The game continues much as though you were wearing an [[amulet of life saving]]. (If you ''were'' wearing the amulet, it will be consumed as normal and you won't receive the prompt.) You can refuse any sort of death, even ones that standard life saving wouldn't protect you from. However, you cannot refuse any other end to your game, such as [[trickery]] or [[escaping the dungeon]].
+Type {{kbd|n}}, and you receive the message "Okay, so you don't die." The game then continues as normal. The [[amulet of life saving]] takes priority; wearing one on a valid death will consume the amulet with no prompt. You can refuse any sort of death, even ones that standard life saving wouldn't protect you from. However, you cannot refuse any other end to your game, such as [[trickery]] or [[escaping the dungeon]].
-If you refuse death from [[brainlessness]], your [[intelligence]] is arbitrarily set to 5, with the message "You feel like a scarecrow."  If you refuse death from self-[[genocide]], you survive as the last of your race or role, and trying to genocide the same race or role again will fail, except through the uncursed scroll while confused. If you refuse death from [[levelport]]ing to level 0, it's as though the teleport never happened.
+If you refuse death from [[brainlessness]], your [[intelligence]] is arbitrarily set to 5 ("You feel like a scarecrow.").  If you refuse death from self-[[genocide]], you survive as the last of your race or role. Trying to genocide the same thing again conciously will fail, but the uncursed scroll while confused still works.
 ==Save file==
-Explore mode also gives you the option to keep your old save file when you restore a game. This allows you to have a single save slot as in many other games, that you can use to undo a sequence of play to experiment with the results of alternative strategies without having to start a new game and get to the unusual situation you wish to explore. (Note that, if available, [[wizard mode]] may be even more powerful for this sort of exploration.)
+Explore mode gives you the option to keep your old save file whenever you restore a game. This allows you to keep a permanent save slot (like many other games), which can be used to undo a sequence of play without having to start a new game. (Note that, if available, [[wizard mode]] may be even more powerful for this sort of exploration.)
   Do you want to keep the save file? [yn] (n)
@@ Line 28: / Line 26: @@
 ==Enlightenment==
-Inputting {{kbd|ctrl|x}} while in explore mode will not only show your basic attributes, but also your current ones, as if you had used an uncursed wand or potion of [[enlightenment]].
+Inputting {{kbd|ctrl|x}} while in explore mode will display attributes as if you had used an uncursed wand or potion of [[enlightenment]].
 ==Strategy==
@@ Line 38: / Line 36: @@
 Players in explore mode may develop abnormal [[strategy|strategies]]. For example, instead of dealing with a [[soldier ant]] in an appropriate way, an explore mode player might just melee it, ignoring how many deaths this takes. Then they repeat this process with the next difficult monster, dying hundreds of times in the same game.
-Instead of - or as well as - explore mode, consider how [[Elbereth]], proper [[pet]] use, or [[Why do I keep dying?|other strategies]] could help you.
+Instead of (or as well as) explore mode, consider how [[Elbereth]], proper [[pet]] use, or [[Why do I keep dying?|other strategies]] could help you.
 ==See also==